John William SCHIEK, Sr.

SCHIEK, COLEMAN, FINKS, DEETS, SCHUKEI, WALDON, JACOBSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/20/2008 at 10:53:59

Mason City Globe Gazette
November 1, 2003

MASON CITY — John William Schiek Sr., 66, died Friday (Oct. 31, 2003) at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit of North Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 329 E. State St., Mason City, with the Rev. Paul Finger officiating. Burial will be held at the Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion, with military honors provided by American Legion Post # 246 of Clarion. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. N.E. in Mason City.

John was born in Manning, Iowa, on the birthday of his great-grandfather, John William Finks, and was baptized at his grandparent’s home in Tripoli, Iowa. His family moved to Clarion, where John was confirmed at First Lutheran Church. He graduated from Clarion High School where he was a state champion wrestler and also lettered in football.
John was a Marine Reservist and then joined the Army serving with the 82nd Airborne Division. After his military service John attended Wartburg College in Waverly. While in college he excelled in football playing both offense and defense and also was a first team wrestler.

On Aug., 5, 1960, he married Jayne Coleman at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. To this union three children were born, Kathy Jo, Susan Kay, and John William Jr. In 1995, John retired as a conductor from the Chicago Northwestern Railroad after 42 years of service. He was a member and former president of the American Legion, and lifetime mem-ber of the V.F.W. John was also a member and former local chairman and president of the United Transportation Union at Clarion and Mason City. John was a dedicated member of St. Paul Lutheran Church where he served on several committees. He loved the church and his church family. In 1995, John was diagnosed with heart disease and kidney disease and had been receiving dialysis at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, West Campus, in Mason City.

The family would like to thank Dr. Phillip Alscher and the dialysis staff for the wonderful care he received. They would also like to thank all the staff and doctors at Hospice of North Iowa. His activities were limited because of his illnesses but he always found enough strength to spend time with his children and grandchildren. John was happiest when he was with his family.

Survivors include his wife, Jayne, of Mason City; children, Kathy Deets and her husband, Marty, and their children, Joshua, Zachari and Darcey, of Cheyenne Wyo.; Susan Schukei and her husband, Steve, and their children Jacque, Emily, and John Robert, of Mason City; John Jr. and his wife, Kim, and their daughter, Maddison of Maplewood, Minn.; six great-grandchildren; sister, Delores Waldon and her husband, Melvin, of Clarion; two brothers, Fred Schiek and his wife, Barbara, of Des Moines, and Richard Schiek and his wife, Judy, of Algona; one aunt, Arlene Jacobson, of Clarksville; along with many nieces and nephews; and several cousins in Germany. He was preceded in death by his parents, Otto and Lydia Schiek; his wife’s parents, Alfred (Bud) and Dorthy Coleman; and special brother-in-law, James Coleman and his wife, Linda Sue.

Those planning an expression of sympathy may direct memorials to the family of John Schiek. Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel.